Combined letter-file and copy-holder.



Patented Feb. n, |902.

No. 692,9'7l.

W.`M. BARGER &. Fl J. BIRSS; COMBINED LETTER FILEv ANO COPY HOLDER. (Applicatio'n led Sept. 5, 1901.) yum model.)

l I lffmzys UNITED STATES PATENT rrlcng,

VILLIAM M. BARGER AND FRANK J. BIRSS, OF IIEBRON, NEBRASKA.

COMBINED LETTER-FILE AND COPY-HOLDER.

SPECIFICATION forming' part of Letters Patent No. 692,971, dated February 1 1, 1902. Application filed September 5, 1901. Serial No. 74,408. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom, t may concern:

Be it known that we, WILLIAM M. BARGER and FRANK J. BIRSS, citizens of the United States, residing at Hebron, in the county of Thayer and State of Nebraska, have invented a new and useful Combined Letter-File and Copy-Holder, of which the following is a speciiication.

The inventionrelates to a combined letteriile and copy-holder.

The object of the present invention is to provide a combined letter-iile and copy-holder which will be simple and comparatively inexpensive in construction and which will be capable of being readily arranged for filing and temporarily binding letters and for holding a copy inconvenient position.

Afurther object of the invention is to provide a device of this character which will enable letters as they are led to be arranged on paper-fasteners, so that a series of letters may be readily secured together and removed in a body from the device when a sufficient number has accumulated.

The invention consists in the construction and novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claims hereto appended.

In the drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of a combined letter-ileand copy-holder constructed in accordance with this invention and shown closed. Fig. 2 is a similar view, the cover being swung backward to expose the fastening devices for securing letters. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of a portion of the device, the cover being raised to form a copyholder. Fig. 4 is a sectional view on the line 4 4 of Fig. 2, illustrating the manner of clamping the paper-fasteners. Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional View of one side of the hinged cover, illustrating the manner of hinging the same to the hinged frame. Fig. 6 is a detail view of one of the paper-fastener clamps.I Fig. 7 is a detail view of the pivoted copy-engaging rod. Fig. S is a detail view of the plate for holding the spring for engaging the hinged frame.

Like numerals of reference designate corresponding partsin all the figures of the drawings.

1 designates a back provided at one end with a cross-piece 2, forming a head and serving as a support for clamps 3 for engaging paper-fasteners 4. The clamps consist of approximately' L-shaped levers provided with engaging arms or jaws 5 to receive the said fasteners, as clearly illustrated in Figs. 4 and 6 of the accompanying drawings. The L- shaped clamping-levers, which extend over the top and inner side face of the head or cross-piece 2, are perforated at their angles for the reception of screws 6 or other suitable fastening devices for fulcruming the levers, and the vertical depending arms or portions of the levers are received within recesses 7 of the inner side face of the said head or cross-piece 2. The horizontal or approximately horizontal portions of the clampinglevers are located above and normally held out of contact with the upper face of the head or cross-piece 2 by coiled springs S, seated in suitable sockets or recesses of the head or cross-piece 2 and adapted to be depressed therein to permit the engaging portions or jaws 5 of the clamping-levers to be elevated sufficiently to permit the removal of the fastenin g devices 4 from the slots or bifurcations. The heads of the fastening devices 4 are firmly clamped against the bottom or back of the device, and the sides or legs of the fastening devices are held in a vertical position to permit letters to be filed on them, and when a sufficient number of letters has accumulated the legs of the fastening devices 4 may be spread in the usual manner to bind the letters, and the entire body of letters may then be removed from the device. The upper portions of the clamping-levers are adapted to be readily depressed to permit fastening devices to be mounted in and removed from the jaws.

Hinged to the cross-piece or head of the back l is a cover 9, which is adapted when the device is not in use to be arranged upon the letters 10, as indicated in Fig. l of the drawings, and which is adapted tovswing upward, either as shown in Fig. 2 or as illustrated in Fig. 3, to expose the fastening devices 4 and to arrange the cover to form a copy-holder. The cover, which when closed is adapted to hold the letters in place, is provided at its inner or upper edge with slots or bifurcations 1l to receive the projecting legs IOO of the fastening devices. The inner or upper end of the lid or cover is provided at opposite sides with bearings consisting of blocks 12, suitably secured to the upper or outer face of the cover and provided with longitudinal bores or openings and receiving laterally-extending arms or pintles 13 of an approximatelyrectangular frame 14. Theirame 14 is composed of opposite sides and a transverse connecting portion, the sides being approximately L-shaped to conform to the configuration of the head or cross-piece 2. The laterally-extending arms or pintles 13 are formed integral with the sides'of the frame 14, and the transverse portion thereof, which is provided with a central loop or bend 15, is arranged in eyes 16 of plates or leaves 17, whereby the frame 14 is hinged at. the outer end of the back to permit the cover to swing upward clear of the fastening devices 4. The

plates or leaves 17 are secured to the outer` side face of the cross-piece or head 2, and the eyes 16 are arranged at the upper face of the latter. The loop or `bend 15, which forms a crank, is provided with au antifriction-sleeve 18 and is engaged by a leaf-spring 19, secured at the inner end to the cross-piece or head and disposed longitudinally of the back. The fixed end of the leaf-spring is arranged within an attachment-plate 20, having a central perforation for the reception of a fastening device 21,and provided with side fianges, which are arranged in grooves of the upper face of the cross-piece or head. The fastening device 21 also passes through perforations of the leaves of the spring, and the free end of 4the latteris curved to form adepending flange 23, which engages the loop or bend and which limits the rearward swing of the frame 14. TheAleaf-spring engages the said loop or bend 15 and is adapted to hold the cover firmlyon the letters.

The inner or upper edge 24 of the cover is rounded, and the blocks which form the bearings for the laterally-extending pintles of the hinged frame 14 are also rounded to permit the cover to be readily swung upward on the pintles 13 to arrange it, as illustrated in Fig. 3 to form a copy-holder. The bearings are held in frictional engagement with the sides of the frame 14 by means of short coiled springs 24, seated in recesses of the outer ends of the bearing-blocks 12 and engaged by washers 25, which are interposed between the outer ends of the springs and nuts 26,the outer ends of the pintles 13 being threaded for the reception of the said nuts 26. By this construction the cover is firmly held in an elevated position and is adapted to serve as a copy-holder. The copy is held by an upper clamp 27, consisting of a single piece of wire bent in the form shown in Fig. 1 and composed of a transverse rod 28 and approximately L-shaped arms 29, forming substantially oblong loops, which receive the side portions of the cover. The rod 28 is journaled in suitable bearings 30 and is provided with a loop or bend 3l, which is engaged by a spring 2,

and the latter is adapted to hold the inwardlyextending arm 33, which is arranged within the loop or bend 3l. The loop or bend 31, as illustrated in Fig. 3, is arranged in a plane at an acute angle to the plane in which the inwardly-extending arms 29v are arranged, and the loop 31 is adapted to be depressed to cause the cover to swing the arms 29 away from the same to releasethe copy. The bottom of the copy is held bya pivoted resilient clamping-rod 34, having its outer end bent to form a pintle or pivot 35 and provided at its inner portion with an approximately L- shaped arm 36. The outer end or pivot 35 is secured in a perforation 'of a clip 37, and the latter, which is approximately U-shaped, receives one edge of the cover and is suitably secured to the same. The resilient clampingrod is adapted to be swung upward and downward to arrange it in proper position for holding the lower portion of the copy, and it may also be used as a guide for the person copying.

It will be seen that the combined letter-file and copy-holder is exceedingly simple and inexpensive in construction, that it possesses great strength and durability, and that the cover forms a convenient copy-holder and is adapted to be swung upward either on the pivots or pintles 13 or on the transverse connecting portion of the hinged frame. It will also be apparent that the cover is adapted to hold the letters on the fastening devices 4 and that the legs or sides of the said fastening devices may remainin a vertical position until it is desired to bind the letters.

What we claim isQ 1. A device of the class described comprising a back, a cover, and a frame hinged to the cover and to the back and adapted to permit the said cover to be arranged to form a copy-holder and capable of also permitting the cover to be swung away from the back, said frame forming a support for the cover when thelatter is arranged as a copy-holder and the back being arranged in a horizontal position, substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. A device of the class described comprising a back designed to be arranged in a horizontal position to form a support for paper, a spring-actuated clamping-lever fulcrumed between its ends and provided with a slot or bifurcation adapted to receive a paper-fastener, a spring for holding the lever in engagement with the paper-fastener, a cover provided with an opening arranged over the slot or bifurcation when the cover is closed, and means for connecting the cover with the back, whereby the cover is adapted to swing upward away from the engaging end of the lever, substantially as described.

3. A device of the class described compris- IOC ing a back provided with a cross-piece or head, an L-shaped clamping-lever fulcrnmed at its angle on the cross-piece or head and provided with a slotted or bifurcated jaw arranged to receive a paperfastener, and a spring for holding the clamping-lever in engagement with the paper-fastener, substantially as described.

4. A device of the class described comprising a back, a clamp mounted on the back and adapted to receive and hold a paper-fastener, a cover having a slot or bifurcation for the reception of the paper-fastener and adapted to engage letters or other papers iiled on the fastener, and a frame hinged to the back and to the cover and having inner and outer pintles, said cover being adapted to swing upward on the inner pintle to forni a copyholder, and capable of swinging on the outer pintle to afford access to the paper-fastener, substantially as described.

5. A device of the class described comprising a back, designed to be arranged in a horizontal position to support a Writing-pad, a cover, and a frame having inner and outer pintles and connecting the cover With the back and adapted to permit the said cover to swing on either pintle, whereby the cover is adapted to be swung upward to a position above the back to form a copy-holder While the said back is in a horizontal position, and means carried by the cover for engaging a copy, substantially as described.

6. A device of the class described comprising a back designed to be arranged in a horizontal position and provided with means for engaging papers, a cover provided with means for engaging a copy, and a frame connecting the cover and the back and forming inner and outer hinge-joints, said cover being adapted to swing on either of the hinge-joints, whereby it is adapted to be swung above and in rear of the horizontal back to form a copy-holder, substantially as described.

7. A device of the class described comprising a back, a cover, the frame provided with inner and outer pintles connected to the back and the cover, said frame being also provided with a loop or bend forming a crank, and a spring engaging the loop or bend, substantially as described. Y

S. A device of the class described comprising a back, a cover, the approximately rectangular frame composed of sides provided With pintles connected With the cover, and a transverse portion forming an outer pintle and connected with the back, said transverse portion being also provided With a loop or bend, and a spring engaging the loop or bend and provided with a stop for limiting the movement of the same, substantially as described. Y y

9. A device of the class described comprising a back, a cover having bearings, aframe having inner and outer pintles, the inner pintles being arranged in the bearings of the cover, and the outer pintle being connected to the back, coiled springs disposed on the inner pintles and engaging the same, to hold the cover, and a kspring for engaging the frame adjacent to the outer pintle, substantially as described.

10. A device of the class described comprising a back having a head or cross-piece, a cover provided at opposite sides with bearing blocks, an approximately rectangular frame having L-shapedsides and provided with inner pintles arranged in the bearingblocks, said frame being provided at its outer portion with a loop or bend and having the said outer portion hinged to the head or crosspiece of the back, and a spring secured at one Yend to the head or cross-piece and provided at its other end with a ange and engaging the loop or bend, substantially as described.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing as our own We have hereto affixed our signatures in the presence of Witnesses.

WILLIAM M. BARGER. FRANK J. BIRSS. 

